On December 14, the FCC will vote on chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal to destroy Net Neutrality. If they vote to pass the proposal, the internet as we know it will cease to exist.
Pai’s proposal will allow companies like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to choose the content their customers see. If you’re a Verizon customer who prefers to use Google as your search engine, you won’t be able to use it anymore because Verizon prefers Yahoo. If your internet service provider doesn’t support the LGBTQ+ community, then they will block you from seeing content that supports or involves the LGBTQ+ community.
With Pai’s proposal, you also won’t be able to have free access to all of the social media and gaming apps that you do now. Companies will be allowed to have “bundle” packages, much like cable providers. If you want Twitter, but the package you currently have doesn’t have Twitter, then you could end up paying more just so you can get Twitter. Even then, the app will be bundled with other apps that you don’t want.
Companies will also be able to overcharge customers for fast WiFi speeds. People in the U.S. already pay more than most countries for internet. If the FCC passes Pai’s proposal, that situation will worsen. Companies will be able to charge you more for the “unlimited” plans, and even then, you might not have access to Netflix or Hulu at full speed.
The situation for marginalized groups will worsen if the proposal is passed. Communities like the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, indigenous peoples and religious minorities rely on the free and open internet to organize, access educational outlets and fight against systemic discrimination. Without free and open internet, these communities would become even more discriminated against than they already are.
Overall, Pai’s proposal is a violation of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and core values this country was founded upon. Without free and open internet, the American public would be forced into the dark by its government. This proposal is a violation of the American people’s right to free speech. Without free speech, the American government will essentially control its citizens and will cease to be a democracy.
To resist against this injustice and tell your government officials to fight it, text RESIST to 50409.
